Episodes (ballet)
Episodes is a two-part ballet made by Martha Graham and George Balanchine to Anton von Webern's Symphony, Op. 21, Five Pieces, Op. 10, Concerto, Op. 24, and the Ricercata in Six Voices from Bach's Musical Offering, which Webern had arranged in homage to Bach, as Balanchine conceived the ballet as one to Webern. The premiere took place under the ausipices of the Ballet Society on 19 May 1959 at City Center of Music and Drama, New York, with scenery and lighting by David Hays; the conductor was Robert Irving.
Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein invited Martha Graham to choreograph a joint work using all of Webern's orchestral pieces. The result was not a true collaboration but a work composed of two separate sections. Graham's contribution, Episodes I, danced by her company plus four dancers from New York City Ballet, was a depiction of the death of Mary, Queen of Scots. Dancers for this section were attired in ornate, Elizabethan costumes designed by Karinska. Episodes II, Balanchine's contribution to the work, was danced by New York City Ballet and Paul Taylor, who was then a dancer in Graham's company. This portion, definitively more abstract, dressed the performers in simple, non-descript, stark black-and-white practice clothing. The overall effect allowed Graham's portion to be perceived through a more classical focus—though created and performed by a modern dance company—while Balanchine's portion was viewed in the reverse: a modernist work being created and performed by classical dancers.
City Ballet ceased performing Graham's section in 1960 (at which time it was performed Balanchine's as Episodes II) [1][2][3][4] and in 1961 eliminated the solo variation which Balanchine choreographed for Paul Taylor, since which time the remaining four movements have been performed by NYCB under the original title, Episodes.[5] In 1986 Taylor reconstructed the solo on Peter Frame, who danced it as part of the ballet that year and the next.[6][7][8]
Casts
Original
Episodes I
- Passacaglia, Op. 1,
|
- Mary, Queen of Scots
|
|
- and Six Pieces, Op. 6
|
- Elizabeth, Queen of England
|
|
| |
- the 4 Marys
- Darnley, Riccio and Chastelard
|
|
Episodes II
- Symphony, Op. 21
|
- 3 couples
|
|
- Ricercata in 6 voices from Bach's Musical Offering
|
- 14 women
|
|
NYCB revivals
first cast
second cast
Notes
- ↑ NYCB
- ↑ Martha Graham Dance Company
- 1 2 3 first time in rôle
Film
Television
- 1963 Concerto NBC
- 1970 Five Pieces CBC, Montreal
- 1973 RM Productions
|
- 1976 German television
- 1978 BBC, London
|
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Sunday NY Times review by John Martin, June 7, 1959
- ↑ NY Times article, December 17, 1959
- ↑ NY Times review by John Martin of George Balanchine's Episodes II, April 18, 1960
- ↑ NY Times review by John Martin of George Balanchine's Episodes, March 17, 1961
- ↑ George Balanchine Foundation catalogue
- ↑ NY Times review by Anna Kisselgoff of George Balanchine's Episodes with Paul Taylor's restored solo, June 1, 1986
- ↑ NY Times review by Jack Anderson of George Balanchine's Episodes with Paul Taylor's restored solo, January 20, 1987
- ↑ NY Times review by Jennifer Dunning of George Balanchine's Episodes without Paul Taylor's restored solo, May 27, 1993
References
- Shearer, Moira (1987). Balletmaster: A Dancer's View of George Balanchine. G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0-399-13184-1. , pages 148, 150
- Taper, Bernard (1960). Balanchine: A Biography. Collier Books, a division of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. pages 262, 263
- http://www.cmi.univ-mrs.fr/~esouche/dance/Episodes.html
Reviews
External links
|